Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

MRI Shows Back Pain Due To Degenerative Disc Disease. Surgery Required?

My MRI shows the source of your back pain may be: Degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 with a diffuse disc bulge and bilateral exiting nerve root impingement. The doctor has given me an appointment next week to talk further about the MRI results. I am a little worried about how this will impact my life? How can the disc bulge get treated - will it require a surgery. And what about the bilateral exiting nerve root impingement? How does that get treated?
Thu, 11 Oct 2012
Report Abuse
Spine Surgeon,  's  Response
Thanks for the query. Your MRI shows age related changes in spine and they should not be considered serious unless there is a correlation between the clinical symptoms with MRI findings. Back pain could be due to degenerated disc however it can be treated with medicine and physiotherapy. Surgery is always considered as the last option when other measures failed. The nerve impingement usually cause leg pain. Do you have any leg pain? Again it can be treated with medicine. Thus surgery usually considered a last option in treating spine problems.
I find this answer helpful
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Nerve root


Loading Online Doctors....
MRI Shows Back Pain Due To Degenerative Disc Disease. Surgery Required?

Thanks for the query. Your MRI shows age related changes in spine and they should not be considered serious unless there is a correlation between the clinical symptoms with MRI findings. Back pain could be due to degenerated disc however it can be treated with medicine and physiotherapy. Surgery is always considered as the last option when other measures failed. The nerve impingement usually cause leg pain. Do you have any leg pain? Again it can be treated with medicine. Thus surgery usually considered a last option in treating spine problems.